From ACCESS to WISeR: A physician’s guide to Medicare’s newest payment models

Calendar year 2025 ended with no lack of health policy news — including new payment models for Medicare.

Last year, President Donald J. Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to serve as the nation’s secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. He promised bold new approaches to improve the health of Americans. Plans include new payment models, some starting in 2026 and others coming online in 2027.

In 2025, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center updated its strategic direction to help Americans build healthier lives with a three-pronged approach:

• Promote evidence-based prevention
• Empower people to achieve their health goals
• Drive choice and competition

And its foundational principle is to protect federal taxpayers in all models and activities.

How will that translate to payment models that affect the care and treatments that physicians provide to patients?

This slideshow outlines 10 new payment models announced or developed in 2025. Details come from CMS, its Innovation Center, and other online sources. Lots more information is available through the CMS Innovation Center website.